Get Action! Protect our youth, make Wellington’s streets safe! w/ Rachel Jaboon from VASDA

A recent Salient survey revealed that 75% of students at Victoria University of Wellington felt unsafe while on a night out in the Wellington CBD. 

This figure comes amidst a nationwide statistical increase in violence, with figures from 2023/24 showing increases in murder and manslaughter offences at rates of up to 77% compared to the year before. 

As such, a petition was launched on Our Action Station by Victoria African Diapsora Student Association, also known as VASDA, calling on the Wellington City Council to create and fund a wide-scale cross-community project aimed at addressing violence in the CBD and improving the safety of Rangatahi. 

The petition was also launched in wake of the murder of Luke Smith, a 21 year old student who was killed in Wellington’s Courtney place. 

Oto spoke to Rachel Jaboon, the outgoing president of VASDA, to discuss the petition and her organisation’s calls to the Wellington City Council to improve the safety of Rangatahi in Wellington's CBD.

If you'd like to sign the petition, you can find it here.